<p>2008 2nd Runner-up: Julie Heinrich, Jenniffer &amp; Co., Mentor, Ohio</p>

2008 2nd Runner-up: Julie Heinrich, Jenniffer & Co., Mentor, Ohio

<p>2008 4th Runner-up: Dena Wright, Dena's Nail Elegance, Austintown, Ohio</p>

2008 4th Runner-up: Dena Wright, Dena's Nail Elegance, Austintown, Ohio

<p>2008: Hayato Shiomi, Tokyo</p>

2008: Hayato Shiomi, Tokyo

<p>2008:  Debbie Brew, Mentor, Ohio</p>

2008:  Debbie Brew, Mentor, Ohio

<p>2008: Kathleen M.M. Ringwood-Wood, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.</p>

2008: Kathleen M.M. Ringwood-Wood, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

2008:  Huayin Carmen Li, Greensboro, N.C.
2008: Huayin Carmen Li, Greensboro, N.C.
<p>2008: Viv Simmonds, Taylors Lakes, Australia</p>

2008: Viv Simmonds, Taylors Lakes, Australia

<p>2008: Carmen Gonzalez Banda, Fajardo, Puerto Rico</p>

2008: Carmen Gonzalez Banda, Fajardo, Puerto Rico

<p>2008: Yasuko Iwamoto, Tokyo</p>

2008: Yasuko Iwamoto, Tokyo

<p>2008: Mariko Nakamura, Fujisawa, Japan</p>

2008: Mariko Nakamura, Fujisawa, Japan

<p>2008: Angelina Maul, Prineville, Ore.</p>

2008: Angelina Maul, Prineville, Ore.

<p>2008: John Hauk, Springboro, Ohio</p>

2008: John Hauk, Springboro, Ohio

<p>2008: Leeandra Brown, Victoria, B.C., Canada</p>

2008: Leeandra Brown, Victoria, B.C., Canada

<p>2008: Mary Griffin, Heber Springs, Ark.</p>

2008: Mary Griffin, Heber Springs, Ark.

<p>2008: Cindy Davis, Ridgecrest, Calif.</p>

2008: Cindy Davis, Ridgecrest, Calif.

<p>2008: Sayaka Tamura, Tokyo</p>

2008: Sayaka Tamura, Tokyo

<p>2008: Laura Campos, Gainesville, Fla.</p>

2008: Laura Campos, Gainesville, Fla.

<p>2008: Stacy Senecal, Geneva, N.Y.</p>

2008: Stacy Senecal, Geneva, N.Y.

<p>2008: Kuniko Umino, Tokyo</p>

2008: Kuniko Umino, Tokyo

<p>2008: Chelsa Swaser, Fargo, N.D.</p>

2008: Chelsa Swaser, Fargo, N.D.

<p>2007 WINNER: DOAN HOELSCHER</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Believing, we suppose, that you can’t improve upon nature, cover artist and salon owner Doan (rhymes with “Joan”) Hoelscher used real strawberry seeds to adorn the nails you see on our cover. “I froze the strawberries and picked the seeds off with a needle,” she says. Hoelscher had New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day in mind when she settled on her festive and elegant theme. “These days represent fresh starts, love, and sensuality,” she says. With a friend serving as her model, she applied tips with an acrylic overlay, then polished the nails with OPI’s I’m Not Really a Waitress. She applied the strawberry seeds while the polish was still wet, then applied top coat. </p>

2007 WINNER: DOAN HOELSCHER

 

Believing, we suppose, that you can’t improve upon nature, cover artist and salon owner Doan (rhymes with “Joan”) Hoelscher used real strawberry seeds to adorn the nails you see on our cover. “I froze the strawberries and picked the seeds off with a needle,” she says. Hoelscher had New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day in mind when she settled on her festive and elegant theme. “These days represent fresh starts, love, and sensuality,” she says. With a friend serving as her model, she applied tips with an acrylic overlay, then polished the nails with OPI’s I’m Not Really a Waitress. She applied the strawberry seeds while the polish was still wet, then applied top coat.

<p>2007 1st Runner-up: Eriko Adachi, Tout Soleil, Tokyo</p>

2007 1st Runner-up: Eriko Adachi, Tout Soleil, Tokyo

<p>  2007 2nd Runner-up: Azusa Hara, Creative Salon Ciel, Tokyo</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

  2007 2nd Runner-up: Azusa Hara, Creative Salon Ciel, Tokyo

 

<p>2007  3rd Runner-up: Stephanie Brady, Oasis Day Spa and Salon, Morehead City, N.C.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

2007  3rd Runner-up: Stephanie Brady, Oasis Day Spa and Salon, Morehead City, N.C.

 

<p>2007 4th Runner-up: Masaki Fukunaga, Tout Soleil, Tokyo</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

2007 4th Runner-up: Masaki Fukunaga, Tout Soleil, Tokyo

 

<p>2007: Robin L. Clark-Chisholm, Seymour, Mo.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

2007: Robin L. Clark-Chisholm, Seymour, Mo.

 

<p>2007: Ayumi Takio, Tokyo</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

2007: Ayumi Takio, Tokyo

 

<p>2007: Chelsa Swaser, Fargo, N.D.</p>

2007: Chelsa Swaser, Fargo, N.D.

<p>2007: Yuki Nakamura, Chiba, Japan</p>

2007: Yuki Nakamura, Chiba, Japan

<p>2007: CoCo Hayano, Honolulu, Hawaii</p>

2007: CoCo Hayano, Honolulu, Hawaii

<p>2007: Erica Plyter, Fort Stewart, Ga.</p>

2007: Erica Plyter, Fort Stewart, Ga.

<p>2007: Tomoko Sato, Chiba, Japan</p>

2007: Tomoko Sato, Chiba, Japan

<p>2007: Justine Dela Rosa, Eureka, Calif.</p>

2007: Justine Dela Rosa, Eureka, Calif.

<p>2007: Kristin Miller, Washington, N.J.</p>

2007: Kristin Miller, Washington, N.J.

<p>2007: Miho Kurosawa, Tokyo</p>

2007: Miho Kurosawa, Tokyo

<p>2007: Katie Lansel, McCordsville, Ind.</p>

2007: Katie Lansel, McCordsville, Ind.

<p>2007: Sara Bowen, Brantford, Ontario, Canada</p>

2007: Sara Bowen, Brantford, Ontario, Canada

<p>2007: Shizuka Harihara, Tokyo</p>

2007: Shizuka Harihara, Tokyo

<p>2007: Dawn Firestone, Franklin Park, N.J.</p>

2007: Dawn Firestone, Franklin Park, N.J.

<p>2007: Yuka Kiyono, Tokyo</p>

2007: Yuka Kiyono, Tokyo

<p>2007: Kaori Ioka, Chiba, Japan</p>

2007: Kaori Ioka, Chiba, Japan

<p>2007: Freeda Latham, Hillsville, Va.</p>

2007: Freeda Latham, Hillsville, Va.

<p>2007: Yasuko Iwamoto, Tokyo</p>

2007: Yasuko Iwamoto, Tokyo

<p>2007: Rebecca Bence, Austin, Texas</p>

2007: Rebecca Bence, Austin, Texas

<p>2007: Mai Otani, Tokyo</p>

2007: Mai Otani, Tokyo

<p>2008 1ST RUNNER-UP: Mary Oohara, New York Nail, Toyohashi City, Japan</p>

2008 1ST RUNNER-UP: Mary Oohara, New York Nail, Toyohashi City, Japan

2008 3RD RUNNER-UP: Saori Shida, Tout Soleil, Tokyo
2008 3RD RUNNER-UP: Saori Shida, Tout Soleil, Tokyo
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<p>2008 2nd Runner-up: Julie Heinrich, Jenniffer &amp; Co., Mentor, Ohio</p>
1/47
 
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2008 2nd Runner-up: Julie Heinrich, Jenniffer & Co., Mentor, Ohio

<p>2008 4th Runner-up: Dena Wright, Dena's Nail Elegance, Austintown, Ohio</p>
2/47
 
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2008 4th Runner-up: Dena Wright, Dena's Nail Elegance, Austintown, Ohio

<p>2008: Hayato Shiomi, Tokyo</p>
3/47
 
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2008: Hayato Shiomi, Tokyo

<p>2008:  Debbie Brew, Mentor, Ohio</p>
4/47
 
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2008:  Debbie Brew, Mentor, Ohio

<p>2008: Kathleen M.M. Ringwood-Wood, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.</p>
5/47
 
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2008: Kathleen M.M. Ringwood-Wood, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

2008:  Huayin Carmen Li, Greensboro, N.C.
6/47
 
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2008: Huayin Carmen Li, Greensboro, N.C.
<p>2008: Viv Simmonds, Taylors Lakes, Australia</p>
7/47
 
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2008: Viv Simmonds, Taylors Lakes, Australia

<p>2008: Carmen Gonzalez Banda, Fajardo, Puerto Rico</p>
8/47
 
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2008: Carmen Gonzalez Banda, Fajardo, Puerto Rico

<p>2008: Yasuko Iwamoto, Tokyo</p>
9/47
 
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2008: Yasuko Iwamoto, Tokyo

<p>2008: Mariko Nakamura, Fujisawa, Japan</p>
10/47
 
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2008: Mariko Nakamura, Fujisawa, Japan

<p>2008: Angelina Maul, Prineville, Ore.</p>
11/47
 
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2008: Angelina Maul, Prineville, Ore.

<p>2008: John Hauk, Springboro, Ohio</p>
12/47
 
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2008: John Hauk, Springboro, Ohio

<p>2008: Leeandra Brown, Victoria, B.C., Canada</p>
13/47
 
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2008: Leeandra Brown, Victoria, B.C., Canada

<p>2008: Mary Griffin, Heber Springs, Ark.</p>
14/47
 
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2008: Mary Griffin, Heber Springs, Ark.

<p>2008: Cindy Davis, Ridgecrest, Calif.</p>
15/47
 
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2008: Cindy Davis, Ridgecrest, Calif.

<p>2008: Sayaka Tamura, Tokyo</p>
16/47
 
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2008: Sayaka Tamura, Tokyo

<p>2008: Laura Campos, Gainesville, Fla.</p>
17/47
 
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2008: Laura Campos, Gainesville, Fla.

<p>2008: Stacy Senecal, Geneva, N.Y.</p>
18/47
 
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2008: Stacy Senecal, Geneva, N.Y.

<p>2008: Kuniko Umino, Tokyo</p>
19/47
 
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2008: Kuniko Umino, Tokyo

<p>2008: Chelsa Swaser, Fargo, N.D.</p>
20/47
 
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2008: Chelsa Swaser, Fargo, N.D.

<p>2007 WINNER: DOAN HOELSCHER</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Believing, we suppose, that you can’t improve upon nature, cover artist and salon owner Doan (rhymes with “Joan”) Hoelscher used real strawberry seeds to adorn the nails you see on our cover. “I froze the strawberries and picked the seeds off with a needle,” she says. Hoelscher had New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day in mind when she settled on her festive and elegant theme. “These days represent fresh starts, love, and sensuality,” she says. With a friend serving as her model, she applied tips with an acrylic overlay, then polished the nails with OPI’s I’m Not Really a Waitress. She applied the strawberry seeds while the polish was still wet, then applied top coat. </p>
21/47
 
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2007 WINNER: DOAN HOELSCHER

 

Believing, we suppose, that you can’t improve upon nature, cover artist and salon owner Doan (rhymes with “Joan”) Hoelscher used real strawberry seeds to adorn the nails you see on our cover. “I froze the strawberries and picked the seeds off with a needle,” she says. Hoelscher had New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day in mind when she settled on her festive and elegant theme. “These days represent fresh starts, love, and sensuality,” she says. With a friend serving as her model, she applied tips with an acrylic overlay, then polished the nails with OPI’s I’m Not Really a Waitress. She applied the strawberry seeds while the polish was still wet, then applied top coat.

<p>2007 1st Runner-up: Eriko Adachi, Tout Soleil, Tokyo</p>
22/47
 
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2007 1st Runner-up: Eriko Adachi, Tout Soleil, Tokyo

<p>  2007 2nd Runner-up: Azusa Hara, Creative Salon Ciel, Tokyo</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
23/47
 
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  2007 2nd Runner-up: Azusa Hara, Creative Salon Ciel, Tokyo

 

<p>2007  3rd Runner-up: Stephanie Brady, Oasis Day Spa and Salon, Morehead City, N.C.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
24/47
 
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2007  3rd Runner-up: Stephanie Brady, Oasis Day Spa and Salon, Morehead City, N.C.

 

<p>2007 4th Runner-up: Masaki Fukunaga, Tout Soleil, Tokyo</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
25/47
 
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2007 4th Runner-up: Masaki Fukunaga, Tout Soleil, Tokyo

 

<p>2007: Robin L. Clark-Chisholm, Seymour, Mo.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
26/47
 
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2007: Robin L. Clark-Chisholm, Seymour, Mo.

 

<p>2007: Ayumi Takio, Tokyo</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
27/47
 
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2007: Ayumi Takio, Tokyo

 

<p>2007: Chelsa Swaser, Fargo, N.D.</p>
28/47
 
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2007: Chelsa Swaser, Fargo, N.D.

<p>2007: Yuki Nakamura, Chiba, Japan</p>
29/47
 
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2007: Yuki Nakamura, Chiba, Japan

<p>2007: CoCo Hayano, Honolulu, Hawaii</p>
30/47
 
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2007: CoCo Hayano, Honolulu, Hawaii

<p>2007: Erica Plyter, Fort Stewart, Ga.</p>
31/47
 
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2007: Erica Plyter, Fort Stewart, Ga.

<p>2007: Tomoko Sato, Chiba, Japan</p>
32/47
 
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2007: Tomoko Sato, Chiba, Japan

<p>2007: Justine Dela Rosa, Eureka, Calif.</p>
33/47
 
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2007: Justine Dela Rosa, Eureka, Calif.

<p>2007: Kristin Miller, Washington, N.J.</p>
34/47
 
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2007: Kristin Miller, Washington, N.J.

<p>2007: Miho Kurosawa, Tokyo</p>
35/47
 
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2007: Miho Kurosawa, Tokyo

<p>2007: Katie Lansel, McCordsville, Ind.</p>
36/47
 
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2007: Katie Lansel, McCordsville, Ind.

<p>2007: Sara Bowen, Brantford, Ontario, Canada</p>
37/47
 
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2007: Sara Bowen, Brantford, Ontario, Canada

<p>2007: Shizuka Harihara, Tokyo</p>
38/47
 
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2007: Shizuka Harihara, Tokyo

<p>2007: Dawn Firestone, Franklin Park, N.J.</p>
39/47
 
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2007: Dawn Firestone, Franklin Park, N.J.

<p>2007: Yuka Kiyono, Tokyo</p>
40/47
 
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2007: Yuka Kiyono, Tokyo

<p>2007: Kaori Ioka, Chiba, Japan</p>
41/47
 
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2007: Kaori Ioka, Chiba, Japan

<p>2007: Freeda Latham, Hillsville, Va.</p>
42/47
 
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2007: Freeda Latham, Hillsville, Va.

<p>2007: Yasuko Iwamoto, Tokyo</p>
43/47
 
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2007: Yasuko Iwamoto, Tokyo

<p>2007: Rebecca Bence, Austin, Texas</p>
44/47
 
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2007: Rebecca Bence, Austin, Texas

<p>2007: Mai Otani, Tokyo</p>
45/47
 
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2007: Mai Otani, Tokyo

<p>2008 1ST RUNNER-UP: Mary Oohara, New York Nail, Toyohashi City, Japan</p>
46/47
 
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2008 1ST RUNNER-UP: Mary Oohara, New York Nail, Toyohashi City, Japan

2008 3RD RUNNER-UP: Saori Shida, Tout Soleil, Tokyo
47/47
 
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2008 3RD RUNNER-UP: Saori Shida, Tout Soleil, Tokyo

In the year 2000, the editors of NAILS decided it would be fun to have a nail technician reader create the cover for one issue and so we started the Cover Tech Contest. Every year, we get hundreds of beautiful entries, creative concepts, and astonishing photographs. Browse through the best of the contests through the years. If you're interested in learning how to submit material for the next Cover Tech Contest, contact Judy.Lessin@bobit.com for details. 

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